ASCL comment on school attendance statistics

Commenting on the latest school attendance statistics, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

"We are delighted to see very high levels of attendance in schools as they fully reopened following the lockdown. It is a tremendous vote of confidence in the incredible work they have done to put in place safety measures and welcome back pupils.

"Secondary schools have put in a Herculean effort to provide on-site Covid tests to returning pupils and deserve huge credit for setting up what are essentially medical facilities. They did this with very little help or support from the government.

"However, we must sound a note of caution over what attendance levels will look like for what remains of this term, because we are picking up reports of positive Covid cases and close contacts having to be sent home to self-isolate. It will continue to be bumpy, and we are not out of the woods yet."